★ BEST INVESTING TOOLS COMPARISON ★
VOL. XCIV, NO. 247
Tool comparison edition
Tool Comparison
Capitol Trades vs GuruFocus
Capitol Trades
Best for US government trades and news
Free
GuruFocus
Best for stock ideas and screeners
Free • From $549/yr
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The verdict
The bottom line
Capitol Trades and GuruFocus cover a lot of the same ground (4 shared categories, including US government trades, news, and blogs), so for the basics you won't go far wrong with either. GuruFocus simply does more: 48 categories to Capitol Trades's 4, including stock ideas, screeners, and ETF screeners, plus a mobile app. Capitol Trades counters by being completely free.
Key differences at a glance
- Mobile app
- GuruFocus
- Free trial
- GuruFocus7 days
- Broader coverage
- GuruFocus48 vs 4 categories
- API access
- GuruFocus
- Global coverage
- GuruFocus
- Free plan
- Both
Choose
Capitol Trades if…
- Capitol Trades's overall approach simply feels right to you; they're close on paper
Choose
GuruFocus if…
- You do a lot of your research from your phone
- You want an API so you can script or automate things
- You care about stock ideas, screeners, and ETF screeners, things Capitol Trades doesn't offer
- You've outgrown the basics and want pro-level depth
Comparison snapshot
| Attribute | ||
|---|---|---|
| Pricing & plans | ||
Starting price | Free | Free • From $549/yr |
Free tier | Yes | Yes |
Free trial | — | 7 days |
Plan limits | Free: history: Website data restricted to the past 3 years | 38 limits: Free: portfolio limit: Up to 3 portfolios with 25 stocks each for free members, Free: data api requests: 100/month included in the Free API package +36 more |
| Platforms & access | ||
Web app | Yes | Yes |
Mobile app | No | Yes |
API access | No | Yes |
Broker sync | — | Yes |
Integrations | — | GuruFocus Data API, GuruFocus Excel Add-in +6 more |
| Audience & fit | ||
Experience level | Beginner, Intermediate | Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced |
Best for | Retail Traders, Pro Retail +2 more | Retail Traders, Pro Retail +9 more |
Categories covered | 4 | 48 |
Regions | North America | North America, Europe, APAC, LatAm, Middle East, Africa |
| Data & capabilities | ||
Data quality | — | 5 signals: Latency: End of Day, Granularity: EOD +3 more |
Data partners | — | 5 partners: QuoteMedia, Morningstar +3 more |
Capabilities | Universe builder | 8 signals: Custom formulas, Ranking backtests +6 more |
Security | — | Status page and Encryption in transit |
| Try it | Visit Capitol Trades | Visit GuruFocus |
Standout features
What Capitol Trades does best
- Tracks U.S. politicians’ disclosed trades (Senate/Congress) and presents them via Trades, Politicians, and Issuers explorers.
- Claims “new trades and analytics are published as close to real-time as possible”; also offers a Twitter feed for newly published trades.
- Trade explorer supports multi-dimensional filtering (e.g., chamber, party, committee, state, asset type, transaction type, trade size, sector, issuer country).
- Trade detail pages show traded date, published date, filed date and “Reporting Gap”, owner (e.g., self/spouse/joint), asset type, and trade size ranges; includes “View Original Filing” links back to disclosures.
- Covers multiple disclosed asset types including stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, stock options, crypto, bonds, and private equity funds (as labeled on trade pages).
What GuruFocus does best
- Global value-investing research platform with historical financial and valuation data, screeners, charts, comparisons, institutional-investor trading histories, executive trading histories, market valuation data, economic indicators, and industry indicators.
- Large global coverage footprint: GuruFocus says it serves more than 1 million users worldwide, covers 100,000 stocks in 100 markets, tracks 8,000+ institutional investors’ trading histories, and tracks 15,000+ mutual fund holdings; API documentation separately describes 60,000+ companies across 9 regions.
- All-in-One Screener with 500+ filters across fundamentals, valuation, profitability, growth, dividends, guru holdings, insider trades, predefined value screens, custom filters, saved screens, downloadable results, and portfolio workflow integration.
- Screener backtesting for more than 80 countries, with U.S. backtests starting January 1, 2006 and non-U.S. country backtests generally starting January 1, 2016; parameters include stock count, ranking metric, sort order, start/end date, and rebalance frequency.
- GuruFocus states that screener backtests are designed to be free of survivorship bias by considering historical mergers, acquisitions, spin-offs, and delistings.
Data & access details
| Attribute | ||
|---|---|---|
| Coverage & fit | ||
Asset types | StocksETFsMutual FundsOptionsCryptosBondsPrivate FundsOther | StocksETFsBondsMutual FundsOptionsFundsOther |
Experience | BeginnerIntermediate | BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced |
Target audience | Retail TradersPro RetailAnalystsStudents/Researchers | Retail TradersPro RetailLong-term InvestorsValue InvestorsQuality InvestorsDividend InvestorsAnalystsQuants/Developers+3 more |
Regions | North America | North AmericaEuropeAPACLatAmMiddle EastAfrica |
Coverage details | Identifiers: Ticker | Identifiers: Ticker and CIK |
| Data | ||
Data freshness | Not specified | End of Day |
Data granularity | Not specified | EOD |
Pricing sources | Not specified | ExchangeVendorModel |
Data partners | Not specified | QuoteMediaMorningstarRefinitivFREDSEC / local regulators |
| Access & integrations | ||
API protocols | Not specified | REST |
API auth & delivery | Not specified | Auth: APIKeySDKs: Python and GoDocs |
Import methods | Not specified | CSVBrokerOAuthManual |
Integrations | Not specified | GuruFocus Data APIGuruFocus Excel Add-inGuruFocus Google Sheets Add-onSnapTradeSchwabFidelityRobinhoodInteractive Brokers |
Export formats | Not specified | CSVExcelJSON |
| Plans & trust | ||
Security & compliance | Not specified | Status pageEncryption in transit |
Capability signals | Universe builder | Custom formulasRanking backtestsUniverse builderFactors: Value, Quality, Momentum, and GrowthBroker syncMulti-currencyYield curvesAI summaries: Transcripts |
Vendor & support | 2iQ Research GmbHCountry: GermanySupport: Email and Phone | GuruFocus.com, LLCCountry: United StatesFounded 2004Support: Email, Chat, Phone, and Forum |
Green tags are exclusive to that tool in this comparison.
Pricing breakdown
Free
Lower starting price
Plans & pricing
- history: Website data restricted to the past 3 years
$549/yr
Starting price
Plans & pricing
- portfolio limit: Up to 3 portfolios with 25 stocks each for free members
- data api requests: 100/month included in the Free API package
- +1 more
- billing: Annual only
- data api requests: 200/month included with Premium membership
- +2 more
- billing: Annual only
- data api requests: 500/month included with Premium Plus membership
- +2 more
- billing: Annual only
- data api requests: 2,000/month included with Professional membership
- requests: 100/month
- billing: Billed annually
- canada add on: $100/month
- +8 more
- billing: Billed annually
- initial top up: $100 credit
- company profile: $0.10/request
- +11 more
Coverage overlap
Shared categories
4Where the two tools cover the same ground.
Capitol Trades strengths
0What you only get with Capitol Trades.
No unique categories.
GuruFocus strengths
44What you only get with GuruFocus.
Community category leaders
Vote sentiment comparison
Loading sentiment chart...
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between Capitol Trades and GuruFocus?
Capitol Trades leans toward US government trades, news, and blogs, while GuruFocus puts more weight on stock ideas, screeners, and ETF screeners. They overlap in 4 categories, so for most people it comes down to workflow preference and price.
How much do Capitol Trades and GuruFocus cost?
Good news: both Capitol Trades and GuruFocus have free plans, so you can run them side by side and only pay if you hit a wall.
Which is better for beginners: Capitol Trades or GuruFocus?
Honestly, neither is aimed at beginners. Expect a learning curve either way; that's the trade-off for the depth they offer.
Can I use Capitol Trades or GuruFocus on my phone?
GuruFocus lists a dedicated mobile app, so it travels better. Capitol Trades doesn't list a dedicated mobile app; its documented access is web.
Does Capitol Trades or GuruFocus have an API?
GuruFocus has an API for programmatic access and custom integrations. Capitol Trades doesn't, so you're working through its interface.
Should I choose Capitol Trades or GuruFocus?
It depends on what you're after. Pick Capitol Trades if you prefer its overall approach; go with GuruFocus if you'd rather have stock ideas and screeners. And if you only need the basics both share, let price decide.
What asset classes do Capitol Trades and GuruFocus cover?
Both cover stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, and options. Capitol Trades also handles cryptos and private funds. GuruFocus adds funds on top.
Which covers international markets: Capitol Trades or GuruFocus?
GuruFocus has documented international coverage (North America, Europe, APAC, LatAm, and more), so it's the safer bet if you hold non-US stocks. Capitol Trades is more region-specific, mainly North America.
Can I export data from Capitol Trades and GuruFocus?
GuruFocus exports to CSV and Excel. Capitol Trades is stingier about getting data out.
Which has a better stock screener: Capitol Trades or GuruFocus?
GuruFocus has a stock screener for surfacing ideas; Capitol Trades doesn't, and focuses its energy elsewhere.
Can I track my portfolio with Capitol Trades or GuruFocus?
GuruFocus handles portfolio tracking. Capitol Trades is really a research tool; you'd track your portfolio elsewhere.
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Curation & Accuracy
This directory blends AI‑assisted discovery with human curation. Entries are reviewed, edited, and organized with the goal of expanding coverage and sharpening quality over time. Your feedback helps steer improvements (because no single human can capture everything all at once).
Details change. Pricing, features, and availability may be incomplete or out of date. Treat listings as a starting point and verify on the provider’s site before making decisions. If you spot an error or a gap, send a quick note and I’ll adjust.